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I have really enjoyed doing the A to Z Blog Challenge so far. It has been fun, up until the letter ‘J’. I have been wracking my brain trying to think of a J-something to write about as it might relate to the Isle of Man or The Manx, but no. My mind has been a blank on this letter (I’m having trouble with ‘Y’ too). For brain food I cracked open my 1934 edition of 20,000 Words (this is a…
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When I was a young learner, I was taught in grade school how islands were formed. In very simplified terms, there is usually a push and shove from deep in the earth and an island is pushed up. Some islands, like the Hawaiian Islands, are built by volcanoes. But, the making of the Isle of Man was not made by Mother Nature, but by giants. It happened thousands of years ago during a time when, in Ireland, the giants were…
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The Isle of Man is an island of rolling hills, quaint villages and bustling towns. It also has its fair share of haunted places. Let me introduce you to just a few. The Milntown Estate is located near Ramsey and was built in the early 1600’s. According to Lovely Greens, the house is haunted by a former Lady of the house who is more of a friendly, vs the other ghost who is a bit more aggressive. Ben Sowrey and Dario Leonetti…
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On the Isle of Man there is a bridge that belongs to The Little People. It is called the Fairy Bridge. The Little People (also called Themselves) are NOT fairies. They do not associate themselves with fairies and find it quite insulting to be called fairies. They are Themselves or Little People (Little Fellows), period. As I have done research into the folktales on the Isle Of Man, I have not come across the reason they detest being called fairies. I can only…
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As a writer, I lean toward historical accuracy whenever I can, but when I really want a certain something to happen in a story, I make it up. That is the beauty of being a fiction writer…I get to make stuff up. There are many aspects of The Manx that hold true to the facts whether it is something that takes place today, or in the past. There are real people in the book like King Magnus and his family. The castles…
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I would like to introduce you to Donal Kennaugh, one of the main characters in The Manx. I have enjoyed writing Donal’s character because there are many secrets behind him. Throughout the story these secrets will come to light as he is forced to face his past. He lives in Ramsey with his mother, Brigid. He and his father were a sidecar team in the motorcycle racing circuit. During the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy race (also known as the TT), the bike went…
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It wasn’t too long ago that my life made an unexpected left turn, the wrong way, down a one way street. It started a few years ago and, today, there are vestiges of life’s crap still creeping around in the background. I won’t go into the grim details here, but trust me when I say, “It really, really, really sucked.” Life was dumping a torrential downpour on me, and my writing. Shortly before everything went off track, I had started…
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Today’s post, for #atozchallenge, is dedicated to the letter C — for CAT, and my fantasy novel, The Manx. The manx cat is tailless and are thought to come from the Isle of Man. At one time there was a relatively large population of manx on the island, but in recent years it has been declining. In the Manx language they are called, kayt Manninagh (the cat of Mann) and are also referred to as Stubbin. In Sophia Morrison’s, Manx Fairy Tales, the…
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In Manx folklore, the buggane is a fierce creature that is similar to a demon or ogre. Legend says that they cannot cross water nor can they be on sacred grounds. I have already told you about one of the bugganes that haunted St. Trinian’s Church, and today I want to tell you the story of another buggane. Finn MacCooilley, an Irish giant, is most well known for his battle with a Scottish giant where the result of the battle…
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